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Welcome back to The Week in Weed, your Friday look at what's happening in the world of legalized marijuana. This week, we see the federal government stepping up enforcement of cannabis laws on national park lands. Lawmakers in Virginia are drafting legislation to set up a retail market. A federal bill to overturn the ban on intoxicating hemp is in the works. And finally, The Onion weighs in on the hemp situation.
ENFORCEMENT ON FEDERAL LANDS
If you're headed to a national park, you should probably leave your cannabis at home. The U.S. Attorney for Wyoming, home to both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks, issued a press release this month saying his office would use "every prosecutorial tool available" to enforce the federal ban on marijuana. The statement made reference to the U.S. Department of Justice having rescinded previous guidance concerning simple possession. None of the news outlets covering this story provided any links to said recission, and our own search of the DOJ website turned up nothing.
VIRGINIA
As we reported a couple of weeks ago, Virginia has a new governor, which makes it far more likely that the state will set up a retail cannabis market. The state's Joint Commission on the Future of Cannabis Sales (no pun intended) will meet on December 2 to announce a final proposal for a retail framework. Assuming the legislature takes up the measure early next year, sales could begin in the fall of 2026. Truly, elections have consequences.
FEDERAL HEMP BAN REPEAL BILL
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has long been a friend of the cannabis industry. So you can imagine that the recent federal legislation that both opened the government and banned intoxicating hemp has caused her concern. In response, she is currently circulating a draft bill that would rescind the ban. "The American Hemp Protection Act of 2025″ would not establish regulations for the industry, as currently written, but lawmaking is a long process, so any number of amendments could be made along the way.
AND FINALLY
All this talk of hemp has come to the attention of The Onion.
Be well everyone – we'll be off for the Thanksgiving holiday next week, but will be back at it on December 5.
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